Archive for the ‘Flying Cart Features’ Category

Le Dolci is one of the finest places to learn how to make cup cakes in Toronto. My mouth is watering just looking at their website. They have some really incredible cupcake designs. Checkout these:

My favorite thing about the Le Dolci folks is their classes. They have an events calendar so you can learn how to make them yourself! Once you get back home from their class you can impress all your dinner guests with your own cupcake creations.

Their online store is great when you run out of supplies. Check their store out here.

I know, I know, didn’t we just unveil the new Extra Pages feature? We did, and we’re keeping things rolling with 50 new design backgrounds to choose from. That’s right, 50! All thanks to our wonderful friends at ColourLovers.

So what are you waiting for? Go to your HQ, click Design, then Backgrounds and check out all the great new offerings.

Since we’re so stoked about our new Extra Pages Feature, we’re launching a two week contest starting today, December 17th. We’re looking for exemplary, innovative, or just plain quirky uses of Flying Cart’s Extra Pages feature. The Best Extra Page gets ONE FREE MONTH FOR YOUR CURRENT PACKAGE!

You spoke and we listened! Thanks to all those who took part in our survey about new Flying Cart features. And now for the fruits of your clicking…

We’re constantly thinking of creative new ways to enhance your online, and now Flying Cart gives you a blank canvas to create with its new Extra Pages Feature. Previously all packages received one extra page, and sellers used them in a variety of ways. Now, depending on your package and your creativity, there’s no limit to what you can do with your extra pages.

So what can you do with this newfound freedom as a seller? Here are some off-the-beaten path ideas to make your store fun and interactive.

1. (YourStore)TV – Create Your Own Online Television Channel

Let’s be honest, folks aren’t reading like the days of old. Online video is all the rage, and you should jump on the bandwagon. Simply make videos, any kind of videos – artistic commercials, product demonstrations, a personal message from yourself, and so on. Next, upload it to a popular video hosting site like YouTube. Then copy the html embed code and paste it into your Extra Page HTML box. Fill your stores channel with as many videos as you’d like. Get them watching, get them buying!

2. The Sale/Clearance Page – Because everyone loves a deal!

Take a cue from UrbanOutfitters.com and countless other online stores, and prominently display a “Sale” page in your store. Give images and details about the sale products, and be sure to link back to those product pages so they can buy! Also be sure to prominently state how much savings the sale offers (original price versus sale price), people love that!

3. What’s Your Inspiration? – Take Your Customers Behind the Scenes

Most major publications include an Editor’s Note in the beginning of the issue. This is usually a few paragraphs explaining the inspiration for themes and content. And you should do the same. This isn’t an About Page, this is your thoughts and feelings as the creator for your current line of products, not your store as a whole. The “Editor’s Note” concept is especially useful for stores constantly unveiling new/seasonal product lines. Take customers deeper with behind the scenes images and videos of the products being created.

4. New/Seasonal Product Line Preview – Let them know what’s coming!

This is again mostly appropriate for power sellers who consistently add new products. Coming out with a new fall line for your clothing store? Embed a Flickr (recommended – here’s how) or Picasa slideshow featuring exciting preview images of your new and upcoming products. And be sure to send the preview page link to your fan club!

5. Your Social Networking Directory

Build a base with links and info about your store’s presence on the social web. Among Flying Cart’s countless great features, we also help direct customers to your web presence with social networking buttons on the product page and beyond. But it never hurts to have multiple places that suggest visitors share your store through the social web. Hyperlink social networking logo images (like the Facebook F or the Twitter T) to direct them to your Facebook, Twitter, and so. You can even use it as an opportunity to detail store specials/coupons available only through your social networks.

6. Testimonials – Let customers know what others think.

Have you received great feedback on your store or products? Make those compliments public with a testimonials page. And if you haven’t gotten any feedback yet, send a message blast to your fan club or those who’ve made recent purchases and ask for their thoughts. Amazon does so with every purchase you make. Strong, well written testimonials can go a long way in comforting prospective customers.

7. Do Good – Use an extra page to raise awareness about your favorite charitable cause.

Have a passion for activism? Even if your products aren’t directly linked to social change, aligning your store with a cause your passionate about can be a great way to connect with your customers on a personal level. Use an extra page to share your thoughts on something important in the world, even if it isn’t directly related to your store. Selling is as much about resonating with the customer as having great products, so show them your conscious side. Want to take it a step further? Offer a percentage of sales towards your favorite cause, so when they buy from you, they’re helping better the world.

8. Survey! Survey? Survey! – Find out what they think.

Build your own survey using Survey Monkey or Google Docs and embed it or link to it through your extra page. If you really want to dig deep, ask the tough questions like what improvements customers would like to see for your store or products. Want more responses? Offer a special coupon code via email to those who complete the survey!

9. Your Store Soundtrack – Because silence doesn’t sell.

When you walk into any brick-and-mortar store, it’s never silent. There are always tunes playing as background music to enhance the shopping experience. While it’s ill advised in the web world to have autoplay music on your site (because shoppers might already be listening to something on their computer), giving them the option to experience your store with sound is an underrated tactic in sensory marketing. You can use GrooveShark to embed a playlist in your Soundtrack page or have it open in a new window (so they can browse and listen simultaneously). If you don’t feel like flushing out a full playlist, you can also create and embed/link to a radio station for your store with Pandora.

If you sell products that ride the wave of pop-culture trends, then help keep your customers up to date to the latest happenings of relevant trendsetters. Sell handbags? Add photos of celebrities touting a bag like yours. Sell tech gear? Link to articles talking about how your goods o products like yours are the future of technology. Find out who’s a trendsetter in your field, keep tabs on them, and publish it in your store. Make the experience full circle by convincing them your store is cutting edge with a Trend Watcher page, then lead customers to a Product Line Preview page like that discussed in #4. Make sure there’s a clear correlation between the trends you discuss in the Trend Watcher page and the products you include in the Product Preview page. Want help spotting trends? Check out 11 Crucial Consumer Trends for 2011 via TrendWatcher.com.

We want to send a special thanks to Bugs and More for turning our attention to the latest update to Flying Cart’s top-flight functionality.

The Generate XML Sitemaps function just received a vast upgrade. As always it will generate sitemaps for hosted users (yourstoe.flyingcart.com), but now Flying Cart users with custom domains (yourstore.com) can auto-generate sitemaps as well. So if you’re using a custom domain regenerate your sitemap now!

Big corporations are starting to unlock the mystery that is “social shopping,” but for us, it’s not just a buzzword—it’s a what we do every day. While you may sometimes feel like you don’t stand a chance running a small business online against the big guys backed by lots of money and resources, you may not realize that you have something they don’t have: a real voice. You’re a real person with real ideas and you can connect with other real people just like you. As for us, we make it easier for you to get your message out to your customers.

Talk About What You Know
Part of what makes Flying Cart so unique is of course all of our amazing shops with creative products run by passionate sellers. You guys have real expertise in your niches, so why not put your talents and knowledge to good use and share some of your insight with your customers and really get personal with your readers.

For example if you sell sports jerseys then share your passion about sports. Blog about your favorite teams and players, tweet about recent games and share videos of plays on YouTube. Now that you’ve got your audience hooked, let Flying Cart help you sell some stuff. If you’re blogging about a Phillies game use the embed feature to add a Phillies jersey you sell right onto your blog.

Share With Online Communities

Of course if your customer base isn’t very large yet, social shopping can help you reach your target market. We’re not suggesting that you spam a bunch of blogs and forums or pretend to be someone else. This whole social thing is about transparency and making real connection—a point that a lot of companies miss. Instead try being open and letting people know who you are and what you do and they’ll appreciate the honesty. And if they enjoying communicating with you and find your contributions to the group helpful, they’ll check out your products. No spam necessary.

In the sports jersey example as a sports fan you might be part of some online communities like the ESPN message boards, which is the market you want to tap into. That’s where those link sharing buttons come in handy.

Your Adoring Fans Await
Of course you don’t have to just rely on outside sources like blogs and social networking sites to connect with your fans. Flying Cart gives you your very own fan club, giving you another way to reach out to your customers. Send your fans updates or look them up on social networking sites like Twitter, Myspace or Facebook. Fans can also stop by and leave a message and show their support on your Fan Club page.

Putting It All Together

There’s no one method of social marketing that works; you have to use all of these methods together to really get results. Use every outlet to your advantage and give back to your customers. Remind your fan club members, Facebook fans, Twitter followers and blog readers that you appreciate their time and offer exclusive coupons. For instance, if you create a coupon just for Facebook it makes your fans feel like they have a good reason to check your page often.

Stores Doing it Right

As you know, starting a blog is a great way to connect with customers, something that Julie Ellsworth understands. She sells giclée prints and discusses her creative process in detail on her blog Consume Create, giving her customers deep insight into her work and the meaning behind each piece.

Even easier than blogging, setting up a Facebook Fan Page is another effective way to keep in touch with your customers. Kitsch Klothing created a Facebook fan page so their customers can stay updated on events and new products and they link right to it from their Flying Cart shop rather than linking to a blog.

Tell Us What Works For You!
How do you participate in social shopping? How do you connect with your customers? How do stores you love connect with you? We want to know about your experience with social shopping and what’s worked for you.